Recliner Apparatus

ABSTRACT

An adjustable recliner apparatus is provided having a seat member with a seat back portion pivotally attached to a seat bottom portion. The apparatus also includes a channel assembly. The channel assembly is made of a flange, a plurality of rollers connected to the flange and a channel configured to accommodate a plurality of rollers. The channel has a detent positioned to hold the seat back portion in substantially vertical position and this detent is sized to retard at least one of the plurality of rollers from rolling past the detent. The channel assembly is connected to the recliner frame and the flange is connected to the seat bottom portion of the seat member.

RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a continuation of U.S. Ser. No. 61/238,382 filed Aug. 31, 2009 and hereby claims the benefit under 35 USC S 119(e) and specifically incorporates this patent application by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a reclining apparatus that provides a simple means for moving the seat bottom and seat back portions between two positions, a sitting position and a reclining position.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Many complicated linkage and track recliner systems have been developed. These systems include external devices to operate and or unsightly breaks in the front panel. A standard lever-controlled recliner contains a series of springs attached to frame. Generally, lever-pulled recliners have three positions—slightly reclined, fully reclined and mid-range. When the lever is actuated, a cord connected to the sliding frame causes it to open and the back tilts backward and the footrest may elevate. The chair is locked in the position. Springs are attached to the frame and positioned to help the recliner return to its starting position. As the recliner spreads out, the springs are stretched facilitating a return to the original position.

The present apparatus is intended to overcome the disadvantages and difficulties associated with such prior art devices by providing a simple means for moving the seat bottom and seat back portions between two positions, a sitting position and a reclining position. In the sitting position, the seat is retained so that only a slight amount of pressure, appropriately applied, is required to cause the chair to move forward to the reclining position.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An adjustable recliner apparatus is provided having a seat member with a seat back portion pivotally attached to a seat bottom portion. The apparatus also includes a channel assembly. The channel assembly is made of a flange, a plurality of rollers connected to the flange and a channel configured to accommodate a plurality of rollers. The channel has a detent positioned to hold the seat back portion in a substantially vertical position and this detent is sized to retard at least one of the plurality of rollers from rolling past the detent. The channel assembly is connected to the recliner frame and the flange is connected to the seat bottom portion of the seat member.

In one embodiment, a back-stop is attached or integral to the frame. The back stop is positioned to adjust the angle of the seat back portion of the seat member, with respect to the position of the seat bottom. In the upright position, the back-stop is positioned to obtain about a 90 degree angle between the seat back portion and the seat bottom portion and is positioned to obtain greater than a 90 degree angle between the seat back portion and the seat bottom portion when the seat member is in the recliner position. The adjustable recline apparatus has a seat member with a seat back portion flexibly attached to the seat bottom portion.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1A is a side elevational view of the recliner apparatus with the seat bottom portion in the upright position.

FIG. 1B is a side elevational view of the recliner apparatus with the seat bottom portion in the reclining position.

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of a portion of the recliner apparatus.

FIG. 3 is a frontal view of a portion of the recliner apparatus.

FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of a portion of the recliner apparatus.

FIG. 5A is a side elevational view of the recliner apparatus with the seat bottom portion in the upright position.

FIG. 5B is a side elevational view of the recliner apparatus with the seat bottom portion in the reclining position.

FIG. 6A is a side elevational view of an embodiment of the recliner apparatus with the seat bottom portion in the upright position.

FIG. 6B is a side elevational view of an embodiment recliner apparatus with the seat bottom portion in the reclining position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Returning now to the drawings in detail, there is illustrated in FIGS. 1A and 1B, a recliner apparatus 13. FIGS. 1A and 1B show a seat member 10 having a seat back portion 9 and a seat bottom portion 8. The seat member 10 is formed of a seat bottom portion 8 connected to seat back portion 9 by a hinge 12. In the upright position the seat back portion 9 and seat bottom portion 8 and the travel position of the rail assembly 11 is shown in FIG. 1A and in the reclining position the seat back portion 9 and seat bottom portion 8 and the travel position of the rail assembly 11 is shown in FIG. 1B.

Now referring to FIG. 2 the relative movement of the seat member 10 to the frame 16 is accomplished by the rail assembly 11. The rail assembly 11 is made of a flange 1 which is attached to the seat bottom portion 8 of a seat member 10. Flange 1 is also connected to channel 5 of the rail assembly 11 via a plurality of rollers 2. The plurality of rollers 2 are attached to the flange 1 at right angles to the seat bottom portion 8. The plurality of rollers 2, in one embodiment, is connected to the flange 1 with thread axles 3 and threaded fasteners 4.

Channel 5 has a detent 7 that is configured to stop at least one of the plurality of rollers 2 in the detent 7. In an alternate embodiment, more than one detent 7 can be used to capture a plurality of rollers 2. The channel 5 is sized to accommodate the plurality of rollers 2. In the preferred embodiment, the configuration of detent 7 results in the forward roller 20 of the plurality of rollers 2 to become reversibly captured in the detent 7. When the forward roller 20 is captured in the detent 7, the seat back portion 9 is in the forward upright position as shown in FIG. 1A. At least one travel stop 6, is provided to prevent the plurality of rollers 2 from traveling out of the channel 5 in the reclined position FIG. 1B.

Now referring to FIG. 3, the rail assembly 11 is made of a flange 1 that is attached to the base of the seat bottom portion 8 via a connection means such as a bolt 18. In most recliner apparatus 13, at least two angled flanges 1 are attached to the underside of the seat bottom portion 8 along each side and mounted parallel to the direction of motion of the reclining action. A plurality of rollers 2 are mounted to the vertical sides of the angle flanges 1. At least two U-shaped channels 5 are attached to frame 16 via opening 14 on either side and/or underneath the seat bottom portion 8 and are configured to receive the plurality of rollers 2 of the angle flanges 1. The frame 16 is the mountable element to which the seat member 10 is attached. The frame 16 could be a built in mount for a sofa or a chair or a built in mount for recreational vehicle, such as a boat.

Now referring to FIG. 4, the channel 5 and flange 1 of rail assembly 11 as it would appear prior to installation in a reclining apparatus 13 is shown. A channel 5 is attached to frame 16 through a plurality of openings 14. The rail assembly 11 supports a seat portion 10 allowing a sliding motion relative to frame 16, with detent 7 and end stop 6 features to limit travel. The channel 5 can be installed in pairs as right and left hand. The seat back portion 9 is connected to seat bottom portion 8 by a hinge 12. The sliding action of the seat bottom portion 8 causes the seat back portion 9 to recline due to the forward shift in position of the seat bottom portion 8 with respect to the seat back portion 9. Another travel stop 6 can be positioned at the opposite end of the rail assembly 11.

The channels 5 have a lower projected surface which is configured to receive the rollers 2 of the seat bottom portion 8 angle flange apparatus 1 and is further configured with a detent 7 position to capture a roller 2 when the seat member 10 is in the upright sitting position. The angle between seat back portion 9 and seat bottom portion 8 is about 90 degrees, when one of the rollers 2 is positioned in the detent 7. The angle between the seat back portion 9 and the seat bottom portion 8 is greater than a 90 degree when the seat member 10 is in the recliner position and a roller 2 is not in a detent 7 of the rail assembly 11.

The rail assembly 11 supports a reclining chair seat or similar portion of a sofa allowing a sliding motion with detent 7 and end stop 6 feature to limit travel. The channel assembly 11 is installed in pairs as right and left hand assemblies. The seat back portion 9 is connected to the seat bottom portion 8 by a hinge 12. A hinge is a type of bearing that connects two solid objects, typically allowing only a limited angle of rotation between them. Two objects connected by a hinge rotate relative to each other about a fixed axis of rotation. Hinges may be made of flexible material or of moving components.

Now referring to FIGS. 5A and 5B, a back-stop 50 is attached or integral to the frame 16. The sliding action of the seat bottom portion 8 causes the hingedly attached seat back portion 9 to recline due to the forward shift in position to the seat bottom portion 8 with the respect to the sitting position. In one embodiment, a back stop 50 is attached to either the frame 16 or channel 5. The back stop 50 is positioned to adjust the angle of the seat back portion 9 of the seat member 10, with respect to the position of the seat bottom 8. In the upright position, as shown in FIG. 5A, the back-stop 50 is positioned to obtain about a 90 degree angle between the seat back portion 9 and the seat bottom portion 8. In the reclining position, as shown in FIG. 5B the seat back 9 is at an angle greater than 90 degrees with respect to the seat bottom portion 8. In the upright position shown in FIG. 1A the seat back portion 9 and seat bottom portion 8 are substantially perpendicular. The recliner position is achieved by pushing forward in the seat. As flange 1 attached to the seat bottom portion 8 moves forward on rollers 2 in the channel 5 an angle of greater than 90 degree between the hingedly attached 12 seat back portion 9 and the seat bottom portion 8 can be obtained before one of the plurality of rollers 2 contacts the travel stop 6. Seat back portion 9 remains in contact with back stop 50 in this embodiment. In this way, the seat member 10 can recline without an external lever or knob to actuate the chair.

In an alternative embodiment, the flange 1 can be attached to the frame 16 and the channel 5 can attached to the seat back portion 9.

Now referring to FIGS. 6A and 6B an alternative embodiment is shown, the seat back portion 9 is connected to the seat bottom portion 8 by a flexible member 40. The flexible member 40 can be made of rubber of any similar compressible materials.

The retainer apparatus 13 is conventionally upholstered and back-cushions can be added by a nonwoven fabric to the seat member 10.

Although the present invention has been described and illustrated with respect to preferred embodiments and a preferred user thereof, it is not to be so limited since modifications and changes can be made therein which are within the full scope of the invention. 

I claim:
 1. A recliner apparatus comprising: a seat member having a seat back portion pivotally connected to a seat bottom portion by a hinge; and a rail assembly comprising: a flange; a plurality of rollers connected to said flange; and a channel configured to accommodate a plurality of rollers, said channel having a detent positioned to reversibly retain at least one of said rollers; wherein said flange is connected to said seat bottom portion and said channel is connected to a frame to allow said seat member to move relative to said frame.
 2. The recliner apparatus of claim 1 wherein said detent positioned to hold the seat back portion in substantially vertical position.
 3. The recliner apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a back-stop attached to said frame, said back-stop positioned to adjust the angle of the seat back portion of the seat member with respect to the position of the seat bottom portion.
 4. The recliner apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a second detent positioned to reversibly retain at least one of said rollers.
 5. The recliner apparatus of claim 1 wherein said seat bottom portion has at least two flanges each attached to opposite side of the seat bottom portion member.
 6. The recliner apparatus of claim 1 wherein at least two channels are attached to the opposite side of the frame.
 7. The recliner apparatus of claim 1, wherein the seat back portion and the seat bottom portion are at about a 90 degree angle when at least one roller is positioned in the detent.
 8. The recliner apparatus of claim 1, wherein the seat back portion and the seat bottom portion are at greater than 90 degree angle when at least one roller is positioned outside of the detent.
 9. A recliner apparatus comprising: a seat member having a seat back portion pivotally connected to a seat bottom portion by a hinge; and a rail assembly comprising: a flange; a plurality of rollers connected to said flange; and a channel configured to accommodate a plurality of rollers, said channel having a detent positioned to reversibly retain at least one of said rollers; wherein said flange is connected to said frame and said channel is connected to a seat bottom portion to allow said seat member to move relative to said frame.
 10. The recliner apparatus of claim 9 further comprising a back-stop attached to said frame, said back-stop positioned to adjust the angle of the seat back portion of the seat member with respect to the position of the seat bottom.
 11. The recliner apparatus of claim 9 further comprising a second detent positioned to reversibly retain at least one of said rollers.
 12. The recliner apparatus of claim 9 wherein said frame has at least two flanges each attached to opposite side of the frame.
 13. The recliner apparatus of claim 9 wherein at least two channels are attached to the seat bottom on opposite side of the seat bottom portion.
 14. The recliner apparatus of claim 9, wherein the seat back portion and the seat bottom portion are at about 90 degree angle when at least one roller is positioned in the detent.
 15. The recliner apparatus of claim 9, wherein the seat back portion and the seat bottom portion are at greater than 90 degree angle when at least one roller is positioned outside of the detent. 